There are two big things SEO does for any business. Firstly, it makes sure that the business can be seen and heard, even in a highly competitive market where search results are crammed with potential distractions. Secondly, it makes sure that the audience that sees the business is highly relevant and likely to buy the product or service – to convert.

There are hundreds of firms to choose from if you’re looking for an SEO company. If you want to narrow it down then you need to know the best ones to look for. You want a firm that will take a creative and lateral approach to your business. The best SEO agencies will use a range of techniques to improve your online visibility and search engine relevance.

A combination of optimizing your company website, promotion on social media and carefully researched PPC (pay per click) advertising is essential for the best results. And the three areas must work together. A good SEO agency will make sure that for every highly tailored advert they create for your products there will also be an equally appropriate ‘landing page’ on your website, so that people will see the goods/offer they want when they click on the link.

The copy on your website, the metadata in the page construction and all copy for your social media posts and advertising will be improved by extensive keyword research. SEO agencies know exactly what your clients are searching for – and how they word their searches. These key terms need to be deployed in the right places on your website to make sure that you achieve maximum visibility.

The aim is to get you ranking highly in Google and seen as an authority in your field. Keyword relevance gives Google a good reason to put your firm first.

An SEO company will help you get to know your audience, too. An ongoing process of testing adverts and landing pages (targeting them at different genders, ages and interests) builds up a detailed picture of your core audience – and what they respond to.

Net result? You’ll see a much greater ROI and far much more efficient advertising costs.